Automated alarm shelving

ABSTRACT

Method and systems are provided for automated alarm shelving. In one embodiment, the method can include receiving data characterizing a state-transition of a machine from a first operational state to a second operational state. The method can also include setting a first field of a first data structure representing a first alarm of the first operational state to a shelved value representative of suppression of the first alarm. The method can further include setting a second field of a second data structure representing a second alarm of the second operational state to an activity value determined based on the received data characterizing the transition and a previous alarm associated with the second operational state.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/787,624 filed Oct. 18, 2017, entitled “Automated Alarm Shelving,”which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

It can be difficult to manually monitor complex machines that haveseveral moving and/or vibrating parts (e.g., turbines, compressors, andthe like). Monitoring systems can be commonly used to monitor theoperation of complex machines, and generate alarms when the machine isnot operating as desired. Monitoring systems can include sensors todetect operational information (e.g., operating parameters, operationalstates, and the like) associated with the machines, and relay a signalto a computing device, which can visually present the operationalinformation for a designated personnel. For example, a turbine caninclude an accelerometer that can monitor the motion of blades of aturbine and relay angular velocity measurements to a computer forvisualization.

Operational information of a complex machine can include informationrelated to multiple operational parameters and multiple operationalstates of the machine. For example, Operational states can include astate in which the machine is starting up or shutting down(“startup-shutdown state”), state of normal operation (“running state”),state in which the machine is turned off (“machine off state”), and thelike. The operating parameters of the various operational states caninclude, turbine angular velocity, machine-part vibration rate, and thelike. The computing device can automatically generate alarms to identifyundesirable behavior of the machine, which can transition throughmultiple operational states. These alarms can be generated based onalarm triggers or set points, which can include conditions that can beuniquely configured for the different operational states of a machine.Graphical representation of generated alarms along with operationalinformation of the machine in a graphical display can be valuable forunderstanding trends in machine operation. However, as the machinetransitions through multiple operational states, multiple alarms can begenerated for each state. As a result, the graphical display can becomecluttered and deciphering operation trends can become challenging.

SUMMARY

In general, apparatus, systems, methods and article of manufacture forautomated alarm shelving are provided.

In one embodiment, a method of automated alarm shelving is provided. Themethod can include receiving data characterizing a state-transition of amachine from a first operational state to a second operational state.The method can also include setting a first field of a first datastructure representing a first alarm of the first operational state to ashelved value representative of suppression of the first alarm. Themethod can further include setting a second field of a second datastructure representing a second alarm of the second operational state toan activity value determined based on the received data characterizingthe transition and a previous alarm associated with the secondoperational state.

One or more of the following features can be included in any feasiblecombination.

In one embodiment, the data characterizing the state-transition of themachine can include operational parameter values of the machine in thefirst operational state and second operational state, and timinginformation associated with the first operational and second operationalstate. In another embodiment, determining the activity value can includeretrieving information related to the previous alarm associated with thesecond operational state, and evaluating the activity value based onreceived operating parameter values of the second operational state.

In one embodiment, the method can include displaying a first graphicalobject representing the first alarm in a graphical display spaceincluding a first axis representative of the time information. Thegraphical display space can include a second axis for displaying a plotover time of the operational parameter values of the machine. An extentof the first graphical object can be limited to time values of the timeinformation associated with the first operational state.

In other embodiments, the method can include setting a third field of athird data structure representing a third alarm of the first operationalstate to a shelved value representative of suppression of the thirdalarm. In another embodiment, data characterizing the first operationalstate can be presented in a first row of a table having a first visualcharacteristic and data characterizing the second operational state canbe presented in a second row of the table having a second visualcharacteristic. The first visual characteristic can be different fromthe second visual characteristic.

In one embodiment, the first operation state and the second operationalstate can be one of a startup-shutdown state, a running state, and amachine-off state. In another embodiment, the method can includereceiving an input indicative of acknowledgment of the first alarm. Themethod can also include setting the first field of the first datastructure to a cleared value representative of suspension of the firstalarm.

In other aspects, the method can include displaying a hierarchicalstructure in a graphical display space. The hierarchical structure caninclude a first hierarchical level visually presented by a first iconand a second hierarchical level visually presented by a second icon. Thefirst hierarchical level can be representative of a machine unit thatincludes the machine, and the second hierarchical level can berepresentative of the machine. The state transition of the machine canbe represented by altering the visual characteristic of the first iconand the second icon.

In another embodiment, a non-transitory computer program product isprovided for storing instructions that can be executed by at least onedata processor of at least one computing system. When executed theinstructions can implement a method that can include receiving datacharacterizing a state-transition of a machine from a first operationalstate to a second operational state. The method can also include settinga first field of a first data structure representing a first alarm ofthe first operational state to a shelved value representative ofsuppression of the first alarm. The method can further include setting asecond field of a second data structure representing a second alarm ofthe second operational state to an activity value determined based onthe received data characterizing the transition and a previous alarmassociated with the second operational state.

One or more of the following features can be included in any feasiblecombination.

In one embodiment of the non-transitory computer program product, thedata characterizing the state-transition of the machine can includeoperational parameter values of the machine in the first operationalstate and second operational state, and timing information associatedwith the first operational and second operational state. In anotherembodiment, determining the activity value can include retrievinginformation related to the previous alarm associated with the secondoperational state, and evaluating the activity value based on receivedoperating parameter values of the second operational state.

In other aspects of the non-transitory computer program product, themethod can include displaying a first graphical object representing thefirst alarm in a graphical display space including a first axisrepresentative of the time information. The graphical display space caninclude a second axis for displaying a plot over time of the operationalparameter values of the machine. An extent of the first graphical objectcan be limited to time values of the time information associated withthe first operational state.

In another embodiment of the non-transitory computer program product,data characterizing the first operational state can be presented in afirst row of a table having a first visual characteristic and datacharacterizing the second operational state can be presented in a secondrow of the table having a second visual characteristic. The first visualcharacteristic can be different from the second visual characteristic.

In one embodiment of the non-transitory computer program product, themethod can include displaying a hierarchical structure in a graphicaldisplay space. The hierarchical structure can include a firsthierarchical level visually presented by a first icon and a secondhierarchical level visually presented by a second icon. The firsthierarchical level can be representative of a machine unit that includesthe machine, and the second hierarchical level can be representative ofthe machine. The state transition of the machine can be represented byaltering the visual characteristic of the first icon and the secondicon.

In yet another embodiment, a system is provided having at least one dataprocessor and memory storing instructions which, when executed by the atleast one data processor, can cause the at least one data processor toperform operations that can include receiving data characterizing astate-transition of a machine from a first operational state to a secondoperational state. The method can also include setting a first field ofa first data structure representing a first alarm of the firstoperational state to a shelved value representative of suppression ofthe first alarm. The method can further include setting a second fieldof a second data structure representing a second alarm of the secondoperational state to an activity value determined based on the receiveddata characterizing the transition and a previous alarm associated withthe second operational state.

One or more of the following features can be included in any feasiblecombination.

In one embodiment of the system, the data characterizing thestate-transition of the machine can include operational parameter valuesof the machine in the first operational state and second operationalstate, and timing information associated with the first operational andsecond operational state. In another embodiment, determining theactivity value can include retrieving information related to theprevious alarm associated with the second operational state, andevaluating the activity value based on received operating parametervalues of the second operational state.

In another embodiment of the system, the method can include displaying afirst graphical object representing the first alarm in a graphicaldisplay space including a first axis representative of the timeinformation. The graphical display space can include a second axis fordisplaying a plot over time of the operational parameter values of themachine. An extent of the first graphical object can be limited to timevalues of the time information associated with the first operationalstate.

In another embodiment of the system, data characterizing the firstoperational state can be presented in a first row of a table having afirst visual characteristic and data characterizing the secondoperational state can be presented in a second row of the table having asecond visual characteristic. The first visual characteristic can bedifferent from the second visual characteristic.

Various aspects of the disclosed subject matter may provide one or moreof the following capabilities. The alarm shelving system can improve theworkflow of machine operators monitoring the operation of a machine. Forexample, automatic shelving of past alarms and presenting them asvisually distinct compared to current alarms can allow the machineoperator to efficiently attend to the current alarms. Additionally,shelving an alarm of an operational state can be helpful diagnosingproblems with the machine when it reenters the operational state in thefuture.

These and other capabilities of the disclosed subject matter will bemore fully understood after a review of the following figures, detaileddescription, and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

These and other features will be more readily understood from thefollowing detailed description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method of operating analarm shelving system;

FIG. 2 is a schematic representation illustrating an exemplaryembodiment of an alarm shelving system;

FIG. 3 is a schematic representation illustrating an exemplary alarmdata structure;

FIG. 4 is a graphical representation illustrating an exemplary graphicaldisplay space, which provides alarm information associated with astartup-shutdown state;

FIG. 5 is a graphical representation illustrating the graphical displayspace, which provides alarm information associated with transitionbetween the startup-shutdown state and a running state;

FIG. 6 is a graphical representation illustrating the graphical displayspace, which provides alarm information associated with transitionbetween the running state and the startup-shutdown state;

FIG. 7 is a graphical representation illustrating the graphical displayspace, which provides alarm information associated with transitionbetween the startup-shutdown state and a machine-off state;

FIG. 8 is a graphical representation illustrating the graphical displayspace, which provides alarm information associated with transitionbetween the machine-off state and the startup-shutdown state; and

FIG. 9 is a graphical representation illustrating the graphical displayspace, which provides alarm information associated with transitionbetween the startup-shutdown state and the running state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Certain exemplary embodiments will now be described to provide anoverall understanding of the principles of the structure, function,manufacture, and use of the systems, devices, and methods disclosedherein. One or more examples of these embodiments are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art will understand that thesystems, devices, and methods specifically described herein andillustrated in the accompanying drawings are non-limiting exemplaryembodiments and that the scope of the present invention is definedsolely by the claims. The features illustrated or described inconnection with one exemplary embodiment may be combined with thefeatures of other embodiments. Such modifications and variations areintended to be included within the scope of the present invention.Further, in the present disclosure, like-named components of theembodiments generally have similar features, and thus within aparticular embodiment each feature of each like-named component is notnecessarily fully elaborated upon

It can be desirable to monitor the operation of a machine (e.g., by anetwork of sensors) and to notify a user of an undesired behavior inoperation of the machine. This can be done, for example, by triggeringan alarm when an undesired behavior of the machine is detected. Acomplex machine can have many operational states, and many operationalparameters within the operational state that can be monitored. This canresult in the triggering of multiple alarms that can be associated withboth the current and the past operational states of the machine.However, alarms associated with past operational states may not beimmediately relevant and can distract the user. By automaticallysuppressing (e.g., “shelving”) alarms of a prior operational state asthe machine transitions from the prior operational state to a currentoperational state, the user can focus their attention to the currentoperational state without the distraction of past alarms. Furthermore,when the machine reenters an operational state associated with a shelvedalarm, the shelved alarm can be automatically activated (e.g.,unshelved). This can allow the user to efficiently and effectivelyresolve problems of the machine in the new operational state. Otherembodiments are within the scope of the disclosure.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary method of operating an alarm shelvingsystem. At 102, data characterizing a state-transition of a machine froma first operational state to a second operational state can be received.The operational information can include an operational state of themachine; operational parameters associated with the operational state;timing information associated with the operational parameters (e.g.,time of measurement of the operational parameters); time stamps of entryinto and exit out of the operation state; information related totransition of the machine through various operational states; and thelike.

In some implementations, the data can be received by a computing device.FIG. 2 is a system block diagram illustrating an exemplary system 200capable of automatically shelving and unshelving alarms. The system 200can include a machine 202 (e.g., turbine, motor, and the like), a sensor204 (e.g., accelerometer, position sensor, and the like), a computingdevice 206 (e.g., laptop, mobile phone, and the like), and a display208. The sensor 204 can detect operational information of the machine202 and can relay the detected information to the computing device 206.The computing device 206 can receive and save this information, and canvisually present the information on a graphical display space of thedisplay 208.

The computing device 206 can also generate/select alarms, and cangraphically present the alarms on the graphical display space. An alarmcan indicate various attributes (e.g., vibration rate of the machine)associated with the operation of a machine. For example, alarms canprovide benchmarks (e.g., maximum/minimum threshold values) that can beused to detect anomalous behavior in the operational parameters of themachine 202. Because the operation of a machine can vary based on theoperational state of the machine, the benchmarks for detection ofanomalous behavior can change with the operational state. For example, amachine can have higher vibration when it is turned on (e.g., “startupstate”) compared to when its operations have stabilized after it hasbeen running for a while (e.g., “running state”). Therefore, anacceptable vibration threshold for the startup state can be higher thanan acceptable vibration threshold for the running state. Hence, alarmscan be operational state dependent.

An alarm can include several alarm properties such as, an operationalstate identifier, alarm activity, alarm level, alarm type, and alarmsource. An operational state identifier property can indicate apredetermined identifier to which the alarm has been assigned. When themachine is in a given operational state, the computing device 206 canselect an alarm from a set of alarms designated to the given operationalstate. Alarms for one operational state of a machine may not be usefulin monitoring the machine in a second operational state. As the machinetransitions from a first operational state to a second operationalstate, the alarms associated with the first operational state can besuppressed (also referred to as “shelved”). Suppressing an alarm for anoperational state can involve altering the manner in which the alarm ispresented in the graphical display space, changing an alarm activityvalue associated with the alarm, and the like. If the machine re-entersthe operational state associated with a suppressed alarm at a latertime, the suppressed alarm can be activated. Activation of a shelvedalarm can involve, for example, reversing the changes made to the visualpresentation and activity value of the alarm during shelving.

Alarm activity can be indicative of the current state of the alarm. Forexample, if an alarm has exited the alarm condition, the alarm activitycan be set to a predetermined value (e.g., “cleared”) indicating thatthe alarm is no longer active. If an alarm has not cleared and themachine is in the operational state associated with the alarm, the alarmactivity value can be set to a second predetermined value (e.g.,“active”). If an alarm has not cleared and the machine is not in theoperational state associated with the alarm, the alarm activity valuecan be set to a third predetermined value (e.g., “shelved”), which canindicate that the alarm has been suppressed. When the machine reentersthe operational state for which a suppressed alarm exists, thesuppressed alarm can be activated and its alarm activity value can beset to “active.” Alternately, if it is determined, upon reentering theoperational state that the shelved alarm is no longer needed (e.g., ifthe operating parameters do not fall in the range that would trigger thesuppressed alarm), the alarm can be exited. As will be discussed withreference to FIGS. 4-9, alarms with different alarm activity values canbe presented in a visually distinct manner, which can allow the user toattend to the alarms in a desirable manner (e.g., most urgent alarmsfirst followed by less urgent alarms).

In other aspects, an alarm source can be related to the capabilities ofthe alarm. If the alarm can be configured to monitor the operation of amachine (e.g., machine 220 which is monitored by the system 200), it canbe referred to as having a “condition monitoring” alarm source. Thealarm activity for alarms with a condition monitoring alarm source canbe set as described above (e.g., set to “cleared,” “shelved,” “active,”and the like). On the other hand, alarms that have been configured toshut-down the machine rather than warn/notify a user can be referred toas having a “protection” alarm source. As these alarms are morecritical, they can remain active as long as they continue to exceedconfigured operating parameters, regardless of current operational state(e.g., set to “cleared”, or “active”).

Another property of an alarm can be an alarm type that can be related tothe manner in which the alarm can be triggered. For example, if an alarmevent occurs when one or more values of the operational parameterexceeds the alarm threshold, the alarm can be characterized by an “over”alarm type. If an alarm event occurs when one or more values of theoperational parameter is less than the alarm threshold, the alarm can becharacterized by an “under” alarm type. If an alarm event occurs whenone or more values of the operational parameter falls in a range ofalarm threshold values, the alarm can be characterized by an “out ofband” alarm type.

After receiving the data characterizing one or more operational statesof the machine (e.g., at step 102), the computing device 206 can assignalarms based on, for example, operational parameter values of themachine. This can be done, for example, by assigning an alarm datastructure to an operational state whose data has been received. Thealarm data structure can have multiple fields indicative of variousalarm properties (e.g., operational state identifier, alarm activity,alarm level, alarm type, alarm source, and the like). FIG. 3 illustratesan exemplary alarm data structure 300. The alarm data structure 300 caninclude, for example, fields for operational state identifier 302, alarmactivity 304, alarm level 306, alarm type 308, and alarm source 310.Values of one or more of the fields can be set based on the operation ofthe machine (e.g., transition from one operational state to another).The operational state identifier field 302 can be indicative of theoperational state (e.g., machine-off state, startup-shutdown (SUSD)state, running state, and the like) associated with the alarm datastructure. The alarm activity field 304 can indicate the current stateof the alarm (e.g., cleared, active, shelved, and the like).

Returning back to FIG. 1, in step 104, a first field of a first datastructure representing a first alarm of the first operational state canbe set to a shelved value representative of suppression of the firstalarm. For example, a first field (e.g., alarm activity field 304) canbe changed as the machine exits a first operational state (e.g., runningstate) associated with the first data structure (e.g., alarm datastructure 300). Determination of change of an operational state (e.g.,exiting the first operational state) can be determined based on datacharacterizing one or more operational states of the machine. As themachine exits the first operational state, the first field can be set toa predetermined value (e.g., “shelved”). This is referred to assuppression of the alarm associated with the alarm data structure 300.Assigning a predetermined value to the alarm activity field can allowthe computing device 206 to retrieve the alarm data structure 300 at alater time (e.g., when the machine reenters the operational stateassociated with the suppressed alarm). This can be done, for example, byperforming a search in an alarm database where the suppressed alarm datastructures are stored.

At Step 106 of FIG. 1, a second field of a second data structurerepresenting a second alarm of the second operational state can be setto an activity value determined based on the received datacharacterizing the transition, and a previous alarm associated with thesecond operational state. The computing device 206 can search the alarmdatabase for suppressed alarm data structures associated with the newoperational state. If a suppressed alarm data structure is detected, itcan be retrieved and its alarm activity field can be changed from thepredetermined value representative of alarm suppression (e.g.,“shelved”) to a second predetermined value representative of theactivation of the alarm (e.g., “active”). Alternately, upon themachine's re-entry into the new operational state, if the operationalparameter values of the new operational state do not merit the alarm,the retrieved alarm can be exited (e.g., “cleared”).

A user can indicate to the computing device 206 that the alarm has beenacknowledged (e.g., by providing a user input such as by a mouse click).The computing device 206 can keep track of the alarms that areunacknowledged (e.g., alarms with alarm activity field set to “shelved”or “active”). Additionally, if an alarm has been exited withoutacknowledgement (e.g. when the operational parameters do not merit thealarm), it can also be considered unacknowledged.

An alarm level field 306 can be indicative of the severity of the alarm.The degree of severity can be indicated, for example, by a number. Forexample, an alarm with higher severity can be assigned a highernumerical value compared to an alarm with lower severity. Alarms ofvarying severity can be presented using different colors. Several alarmshaving different alarm levels can be assigned to an operational state.In some implementations, if a machine exits out of an operational statethat has multiple alarms with different alarm levels, only the alarmwith the highest severity is suspended (e.g., “shelved”). In otherimplementations, all the alarms associated with the operational stateare suspended (e.g., “shelved”). An alarm type field 308 can indicatethat the alarm data structure 300 represents an “over” alarm type, an“under” alarm type, or “out of band” alarm type. An alarm source field310 can indicate the capabilities of the alarm and can represent“condition monitoring” or “protection” alarm source.

FIGS. 4-9 illustrate an exemplary graphical display space 400 whereinformation related to the operation of a machine (e.g., plot ofoperational parameter vs. time, visual representations of alarms, alarmproperties, and the like) can be displayed. For example, the informationcan be received by the computing system 206 as described in step 102 ofFIG. 1, and displayed on a display (e.g., display 208). The graphicaldisplay space 400 can include a plot view 402, an alarm list 404, andmachine list 406. In the plot view 402, a plot of the machineoperational parameters as a function of time can be displayed. The plotview 402 can include a first axis 440 representative of a time relatedto the detection time of the operational parameter 444. The first axis440 can also indicate timing information associated with the operationalstate of the machine, for example, the time at which the machine entersan operational state, the duration of the operational state, and thetime at which the machine exits the operational state. The first axis440 in FIG. 4 can represent the operation of a machine over aconfigurable time period, such as over the course of several months(e.g., January to August of 2016), weeks, days, hours, and the like.

The plot view 402 can also include a second axis 442 representative of,for example, the value of the operational parameter 444. In addition tothe operational parameter 444, the plot view 402 can include graphicalobjects 446, 448, 450 that represent various alarms setpoints ortriggers (e.g., “over” alarm type, “under” alarm type, “out of band”alarm type, and the like). The alarm setpoints can be triggered by acomputing device (e.g., computing device 206) or selected by thecomputing device from a database of alarms (e.g., selecting an alarmdata structure). The alarm properties can be visually represented by thegraphical objects, for example, by color, orientation, shape, size, andlocation of the graphical objects.

The alarm list 404 can provide information related to the various alarmsassociated with the machine. The alarm list 404 can also provideinformation related to the various alarm properties. For example, rowsof the alarm list 404 can be representative of different alarms and thecolumns can be representative of the different alarm properties. Asshown in FIG. 4, the alarm properties can include alarm level 408, alarmpath 410, machine associated with alarm 412, alarm point 416, alarmmeasurement 418, alarm type 420, alarm value 422, alarm trigger 424,alarm source 426, alarm set 428, alarm operational state 430, alarmactivity 432, alarm entry time 434, and alarm exit time 436.

The alarms can include both inactive alarms (e.g., alarms with alarmactivity value set to “cleared”) and active alarms (e.g., alarms withalarm activity value set to “shelved,” “active,” and the like). Bothactive and inactive alarms can also have an acknowledged status.Information of alarms having different alarm activity values can berepresented in a visually distinct manner. A visually distinctrepresentation can include, for example, changing the font (e.g., fonttype, font color, italicizing the font, making the font bold, and thelike), changing the background color, and the like. For example, asillustrated in the row 470 of alarm list 404 in FIG. 5, alarm propertiesof unacknowledged alarms can be displayed in a bold font. Additionally,the alarm level value of an unacknowledged alarm (e.g., active, shelved,and the like) can have a colored background (e.g. a colored circle).Alarm properties of a suppressed alarm can be presented in a row havinga predetermined color background. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 6,row 472 of alarm list 404, which presents alarm properties of asuppressed alarm (e.g., alarm activity set to “shelved”), has ashaded/grey color background.

A graphical display space 400 can include a machine list 406 thatincludes information/identity of the machines associated with the alarmshelving system (e.g., machines that are/have been monitored by thealarm shelving system). The machines can be organized into categoriesand subcategories that can allow a machine operator to navigate throughthe machine list 406. Machine information can be organized in ahierarchy (e.g., a tree structure) that has multiple hierarchicallevels. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the machine list 406illustrates machines of a peaker power plant 460 that can includemachines grouped together into machine categories. For example, thepeaker power plant (e.g., first hierarchical level) can include acategory for steam turbine 462 (e.g., second hierarchical level). Thesubcategory for the steam turbine 462 can include the various steamturbines (e.g., third hierarchical level) in the peaker power plant 460(e.g., IP/LP steam turbine 464, HP steam Turbine 466, and the like). Thevarious steam turbines can include components (e.g., fourth hierarchicallevel) that can be individually monitored by the monitoring system(e.g., IP/LP Rotor 468). In the aforementioned example, the peak powerplant 460, steam turbine 462, IP/LP steam turbine 464, and IP/LP Rotor468 can constitute a hierarchical chain with four hierarchical levels.The hierarchy can be presented in an indented pattern (e.g.,hierarchical levels can be indented with respected to the higher and/orlower hierarchical levels). The machine operator can expand or collapseportions of the hierarchical structure by clicking on the iconrepresenting a hierarchical level. For example, by clicking on the iconrepresenting a hierarchical level (e.g., icon for steam turbine 462),icons of lower hierarchy in the hierarchical chain (e.g., icons of IP/LPsteam turbine 464, HP steam turbine 466 along with IP/LP rotor 468 andHP rotor 470) can be collapsed.

The machine list 406 can indicate to a machine operator themachine/machine part under observation by highlighting the iconassociated with the machine/machine part in the hierarchical structure.The icon can be highlighted, for example, by presenting the icon in adistinct color, font, and the like. Furthermore, icons representing thehigher hierarchical levels with respect to the machine/machine part inthe hierarchy chain can also be highlighted. For example, if the HPRotor is under observation, icons representing HP Rotor 470, HP steamturbine 466, steam turbine 462, and peaker power plant 460 can behighlighted. Additionally, the manner of highlighting the icons can berepresentative of a property of an alarm associated with the HP Rotor470. For example, if a level 4 alarm (e.g., represented by red) isassociated the HP Rotor 470, the icons for HP steam turbine 466, steamturbine 462, and peaker power plant 460 can be presented with a colorrepresentative of a level 4 alarm (e.g., red).

FIGS. 4-9 illustrate alarms associated with exemplary operational statetransitions of a machine (e.g., machine 202). FIG. 4 illustrates agraphical display space, which provides alarm information associatedwith a startup-shutdown state (at time T1). In the startup-shutdownstate, no alarms are active, shelved, or acknowledged. All the alarmslisted in the alarm list 404 have an alarm activity value set to“cleared” indicating that there are no active alarms. At time T2, themachine transitions from the startup-shutdown state to a running state.The graphical display space at time T2 is illustrated in FIG. 5.Because, no alarms were active in the previous state (startup-shutdownstate), no alarms have been shelved. Upon entry into the running state,a running alarm (e.g., having an alarm level of 2) can be activated. Asshown in FIG. 5, row 470 of alarm list 404 represents the active runningalarm. Row 470 can be visually distinct from the other rows of the alarmlist 404. For example, the running alarm properties in row 470 arepresented in a bold font, and the alarm level value in the alarm level408 is surrounded by a solid colored circle. These visualcharacteristics can indicate that the alarm has not been acknowledgedand is an active or a shelved alarm.

At time T3, the machine transitions from the running state to thestartup-shutdown state. The graphical display space at time T3 isillustrated in FIG. 6. Upon transition to the startup-shutdown state,the running state alarm from the running state is shelved and astartup-shutdown state alarm is activated. As a result there are twounacknowledged alarms: the running state alarm from the previous alarmstate, and the startup-shutdown state alarm from the currentstartup-shutdown state. The unacknowledged alarms are represented inrows 470 (for startup-shutdown state alarm) and 472 (for running statealarm), respectively, and have the visual characteristics ofunacknowledged alarms described in discussion of FIG. 6. In someimplementations, row 472 can have a shaded/grey background, which canrepresent that the running alarm of row 472 has been shelved. Thedifferent alarm level values can be represented with varying backgroundcolors of the alarm level values (in alarm level value column 408).

At time T4, the machine transitions from the startup-shutdown state to amachine-off state. The graphical display space at time T4 is illustratedin FIG. 7. After this transition the startup-shutdown state alarm fromthe previous alarm state is shelved. As a result two alarms are shelved:the currently shelved startup-shutdown state alarm and the previouslyshelved running state alarm. These shelved alarms are presented in rows470 and 472 of the alarm list 404. Furthermore, no new alarms areactivated.

At time T5, the machine reenters the startup-shutdown state (upon beingstarted). The graphical display space at time T5 is illustrated in FIG.8. The startup-shutdown state alarm shelved at time T3 can be activated.However, if the operational parameters of the currently enteredstartup-shutdown state do not merit a startup-shutdown state alarm, theactivated startup-shutdown state alarm can be exited. Because thestartup-shutdown state alarm was not acknowledged before the exit, thecurrent count of unacknowledged alarm is two (same as time T4) and thenumber of shelved alarm is one (running alarm shelved at T3). At timeT6, the machine reenters the running state, and the running alarmshelved at T3 is reactivated. The graphical display space at time T6 isillustrated in FIG. 9. As a result, no alarms are shelved at T6 and twoalarms are unacknowledged (same at time T5).

The subject matter described herein can be implemented in digitalelectronic circuitry, or in computer software, firmware, or hardware,including the structural means disclosed in this specification andstructural equivalents thereof, or in combinations of them. The subjectmatter described herein can be implemented as one or more computerprogram products, such as one or more computer programs tangiblyembodied in an information carrier (e.g., in a machine-readable storagedevice), or embodied in a propagated signal, for execution by, or tocontrol the operation of, data processing apparatus (e.g., aprogrammable processor, a computer, or multiple computers). A computerprogram (also known as a program, software, software application, orcode) can be written in any form of programming language, includingcompiled or interpreted languages, and it can be deployed in any form,including as a stand-alone program or as a module, component,subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment. Acomputer program does not necessarily correspond to a file. A programcan be stored in a portion of a file that holds other programs or data,in a single file dedicated to the program in question, or in multiplecoordinated files (e.g., files that store one or more modules,sub-programs, or portions of code). A computer program can be deployedto be executed on one computer or on multiple computers at one site ordistributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communicationnetwork.

The processes and logic flows described in this specification, includingthe method steps of the subject matter described herein, can beperformed by one or more programmable processors executing one or morecomputer programs to perform functions of the subject matter describedherein by operating on input data and generating output. The processesand logic flows can also be performed by, and apparatus of the subjectmatter described herein can be implemented as, special purpose logiccircuitry, e.g., an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC(application-specific integrated circuit).

Processors suitable for the execution of a computer program include, byway of example, both general and special purpose microprocessors, andany one or more processor of any kind of digital computer. Generally, aprocessor will receive instructions and data from a read-only memory ora random access memory or both. The essential elements of a computer area processor for executing instructions and one or more memory devicesfor storing instructions and data. Generally, a computer will alsoinclude, or be operatively coupled to receive data from or transfer datato, or both, one or more mass storage devices for storing data, e.g.,magnetic, magneto-optical disks, or optical disks. Information carrierssuitable for embodying computer program instructions and data includeall forms of non-volatile memory, including by way of examplesemiconductor memory devices, (e.g., EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memorydevices); magnetic disks, (e.g., internal hard disks or removabledisks); magneto-optical disks; and optical disks (e.g., CD and DVDdisks). The processor and the memory can be supplemented by, orincorporated in, special purpose logic circuitry.

To provide for interaction with a user, the subject matter describedherein can be implemented on a computer having a display device, e.g., aCRT (cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor, fordisplaying information to the user and a keyboard and a pointing device,(e.g., a mouse or a trackball), by which the user can provide input tothe computer. Other kinds of devices can be used to provide forinteraction with a user as well. For example, feedback provided to theuser can be any form of sensory feedback, (e.g., visual feedback,auditory feedback, or tactile feedback), and input from the user can bereceived in any form, including acoustic, speech, or tactile input.

The techniques described herein can be implemented using one or moremodules. As used herein, the term “module” refers to computing software,firmware, hardware, and/or various combinations thereof. At a minimum,however, modules are not to be interpreted as software that is notimplemented on hardware, firmware, or recorded on a non-transitoryprocessor readable recordable storage medium (i.e., modules are notsoftware per se). Indeed “module” is to be interpreted to always includeat least some physical, non-transitory hardware such as a part of aprocessor or computer. Two different modules can share the same physicalhardware (e.g., two different modules can use the same processor andnetwork interface). The modules described herein can be combined,integrated, separated, and/or duplicated to support variousapplications. Also, a function described herein as being performed at aparticular module can be performed at one or more other modules and/orby one or more other devices instead of or in addition to the functionperformed at the particular module. Further, the modules can beimplemented across multiple devices and/or other components local orremote to one another. Additionally, the modules can be moved from onedevice and added to another device, and/or can be included in bothdevices.

The subject matter described herein can be implemented in a computingsystem that includes a back-end component (e.g., a data server), amiddleware component (e.g., an application server), or a front-endcomponent (e.g., a client computer having a graphical user interface ora web browser through which a user can interact with an implementationof the subject matter described herein), or any combination of suchback-end, middleware, and front-end components. The components of thesystem can be interconnected by any form or medium of digital datacommunication, e.g., a communication network. Examples of communicationnetworks include a local area network (“LAN”) and a wide area network(“WAN”), e.g., the Internet.

Approximating language, as used herein throughout the specification andclaims, may be applied to modify any quantitative representation thatcould permissibly vary without resulting in a change in the basicfunction to which it is related. Accordingly, a value modified by a termor terms, such as “about” and “substantially,” are not to be limited tothe precise value specified. In at least some instances, theapproximating language may correspond to the precision of an instrumentfor measuring the value. Here and throughout the specification andclaims, range limitations may be combined and/or interchanged, suchranges are identified and include all the sub-ranges contained thereinunless context or language indicates otherwise.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: receiving datacharacterizing a state-transition of a machine from a first operationalstate to a second operational state; setting a first field of a firstdata structure representing a first alarm of the first operational stateto a shelved value representative of suppression of the first alarm;setting a second field of a second data structure representing a secondalarm of the second operational state to an activity value determinedbased on the received data characterizing the transition and a previousalarm associated with the second operational state.
 2. The method inclaim 1, wherein the data characterizing the state-transition of themachine includes operational parameter values of the machine in thefirst operational state and second operational state, and timinginformation associated with the first operational and second operationalstate.
 3. The method in claim 2, wherein determining the activity valueincludes: retrieving information related to the previous alarmassociated with the second operational state; and evaluating theactivity value based on received operating parameter values of thesecond operational state.
 4. The method in claim 2, further comprisingdisplaying a first graphical object representing the first alarm in agraphical display space including a first axis representative of thetime information, the graphical display space includes a second axis fordisplaying a plot over time of the operational parameter values of themachine, an extent of the first graphical object limited to time valuesof the time information associated with the first operational state. 5.The method in claim 1, further comprising setting a third field of athird data structure representing a third alarm of the first operationalstate to a shelved value representative of suppression of the thirdalarm.
 6. The method in claim 1, wherein data characterizing the firstoperational state is presented in a first row of a table having a firstvisual characteristic and data characterizing the second operationalstate is presented in a second row of the table having a second visualcharacteristic, the first visual characteristic different from thesecond visual characteristic.
 7. The method in claim 1, wherein thefirst operation state and the second operational state is one ofstartup-shutdown state, running state and machine-off state.
 8. Themethod in claim 1, further comprising: receiving an input indicative ofacknowledgment of the first alarm and setting the first field of thefirst data structure to a cleared value representative of suspension ofthe first alarm.
 9. The method in claim 1, further comprising displayinga hierarchical structure in a graphical display space, the hierarchicalstructure includes a first hierarchical level visually presented by afirst icon and a second hierarchical level visually presented by asecond icon, the first hierarchical level representative of a machineunit that includes the machine, and the second hierarchical levelrepresentative of the machine, wherein the state transition of themachine is represented by altering the visual characteristic of thefirst icon and the second icon.
 10. A non-transitory computer programproduct storing instructions, which when executed by at least one dataprocessor of at least one computing system, implements a methodcomprising: receiving data characterizing a state-transition of amachine from a first operational state to a second operational state;setting a first field of a first data structure representing a firstalarm of the first operational state to a shelved value representativeof suppression of the first alarm; setting a second field of a seconddata structure representing a second alarm of the second operationalstate to an activity value determined based on the received datacharacterizing the transition and a previous alarm associated with thesecond operational state.
 11. The computer program product of claim 10,wherein the data characterizing the state-transition of the machineincludes operational parameter values of the machine in the firstoperational state and second operational state, and timing informationassociated with the first operational and second operational state. 12.The computer program product of claim 11, wherein determining theactivity value includes: retrieving information related to the previousalarm associated with the second operational state; and evaluating theactivity value based on received operating parameter values of thesecond operational state.
 13. The computer program product of claim 11,further comprising displaying a first graphical object representing thefirst alarm in a graphical display space including a first axisrepresentative of the time information, the graphical display spaceincludes a second axis for displaying a plot over time of theoperational parameter values of the machine, an extent of the firstgraphical object limited to time values of the time informationassociated with the first operational state.
 14. The computer programproduct of claim 10, wherein data characterizing the first operationalstate is presented in a first row of a table having a first visualcharacteristic and data characterizing the second operational state ispresented in a second row of the table having a second visualcharacteristic, the first visual characteristic different from thesecond visual characteristic.
 15. The computer program product of claim10, further comprising displaying a hierarchical structure in agraphical display space, the hierarchical structure includes a firsthierarchical level visually presented by a first icon and a secondhierarchical level visually presented by a second icon, the firsthierarchical level representative of a machine unit that includes themachine, and the second hierarchical level representative of themachine, wherein the state transition of the machine is represented byaltering the visual characteristic of the first icon and the secondicon.
 16. A system comprising: at least one data processor; memorystoring instructions which, when executed by the at least one dataprocessor, causes the at least one data processor to perform operationscomprising: receiving data characterizing a state-transition of amachine from a first operational state to a second operational state;setting a first field of a first data structure representing a firstalarm of the first operational state to a shelved value representativeof suppression of the first alarm; setting a second field of a seconddata structure representing a second alarm of the second operationalstate to an activity value determined based on the received datacharacterizing the transition and a previous alarm associated with thesecond operational state.
 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the datacharacterizing the state-transition of the machine includes operationalparameter values of the machine in the first operational state andsecond operational state, and timing information associated with thefirst operational and second operational state.
 18. The system of claim17, wherein determining the activity value includes: retrievinginformation related to the previous alarm associated with the secondoperational state; and evaluating the activity value based on receivedoperating parameter values of the second operational state.
 19. Thesystem of claim 17, further comprising displaying a first graphicalobject representing the first alarm in a graphical display spaceincluding a first axis representative of the time information, thegraphical display space includes a second axis for displaying a plotover time of the operational parameter values of the machine, an extentof the first graphical object limited to time values of the timeinformation associated with the first operational state.
 20. The systemof claim 16, wherein data characterizing the first operational state ispresented in a first row of a table having a first visual characteristicand data characterizing the second operational state is presented in asecond row of the table having a second visual characteristic, the firstvisual characteristic different from the second visual characteristic.